horizontal
Americanadjective
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at right angles to the vertical; parallel to level ground.
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flat or level.
a horizontal position.
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being in a prone or supine position; recumbent.
His bad back has kept him horizontal for a week.
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near, on, or parallel to the horizon.
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of or relating to the horizon.
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measured or contained in a plane parallel to the horizon.
a horizontal distance.
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(of material on a printed page, pieces on a game board, etc.) extending across, from the left to the right of the viewer.
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of or relating to a position or individual of similar status.
He received a horizontal promotion to a different department, retaining his old salary and title.
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Economics. of or relating to companies, affiliates, divisions, etc., that perform the same or similar functions or produce the same or similar products.
Through horizontal mergers the company monopolized its field.
noun
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horizontals
plural
adjective
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parallel to the plane of the horizon; level; flat Compare vertical
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of or relating to the horizon
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measured or contained in a plane parallel to that of the horizon
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applied uniformly or equally to all members of a group
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economics relating to identical stages of commercial activity
horizontal integration
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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horizontalitynoun
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horizontalnessnoun
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subhorizontalnessnoun
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subhorizontaladjective
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unhorizontaladjective
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horizontallyadverb
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subhorizontallyadverb
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unhorizontallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of horizontal
1545–55; < Latin horizont- (stem of horizōn ) horizon + -al 1
Explanation
The opposite of vertical, something horizontal is arranged sideways, like a person lying down. When you sleep (unless you're a horse), your body is horizontal: horizontal things are parallel to the ground or running in the same direction as the horizon. If you stack books horizontally, then they're on their side. You hear a lot about horizontal lines in geometry: If you picture a square, the top and bottom lines are horizontal lines.
Vocabulary lists containing horizontal
Expressions and Equations
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Geometry - Introductory
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The Number System
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On the wall of a five-story building that collapsed after the earthquake, a rescuer marked a red "V" crossed by a horizontal line, indicating the end of the search for possible survivors.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
The separated fan blade resulted in damage to portions of the engine’s cover and sent engine fragments flying, striking the airplane’s fuselage and its horizontal stabilizer, according to the report.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The suit argues that owning the Golden Globes would “solidify a vertical and horizontal monopoly on the awards market.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Langton fell head first from three metres to the floor after missing his catch on the horizontal metal bar during the opening day of competition and was taken to hospital.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
I order mine with nothing but mustard, and am thrilled to watch the vendor present my hot dog in a horizontal position.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
“Florida Painting” etches red horizontals into a yellow expanse flanked by vivid green, while the two-panel “Space Age Relaxation” carves white lines and colored bars into brown fields.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 3, 2021
For the Academy, City Hall’s arresting vertical lines were tranquilized into calming horizontals.
From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2020
The only strict horizontals and verticals that will be found are in the rectangular paintings' edges.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2015
In the end, both vertical and horizontal turbines have their trade-offs, though horizontals are a more mature technology.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 18, 2011
She pointed to the dense thorny branches of a Blood Rose, cut and pinioned into cruel horizontals against the wall, yet still wild and heavy with dark red blooms.
From "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
